‘Darfur disarmament campaign is political fraud’: analyst

The main objective of the campaign to collect weapons announced by the government, under the supervision of Vice President Hasabo Abdelrahman, is to settle the dispute with Musa Hilal, according to a respected legal analyst.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Ahmed Hussein Adam, associate researcher at the University of London School Of Law, stressed that “the collection of weapons in Darfur comes only within the context of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1556 of 2004 under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which stipulates the disarming and dismantling of janjaweed militias and bringing their leaders to justice”.

He described the current campaign as “scattering of ash on eyes and political fraud that should not mislead the people of Darfur”.

The campaign is expected to lead to a new chapter of conflict and internal fighting between militias in Darfur. He explained that it is a strategy to rid the militias after exhausting their purposes, by igniting internal sedition and fuelling conflict between its social cisterns.

He referred to the need for the government to settle their dispute with Musa Hilal, head of the Revolutionary Awakening Council, and chief of the Mahameed clan, who has strongly defended the Darfur Border Guards militia and renewed his refusal to integrate it to the RSF.

Dire consequences

Husain warned of the dire consequences of igniting the flames of these seditions and expected to extend tongues of its fire to Khartoum.

He questioned the eligibility of the Vice President to oversee the collection of weapons and accused him of establishing the janjaweed militias and overseeing their arming in the first place.

He said that “the second vice-president is the representative of the janjaweed in the palace”.

Hussein expressed surprise at the mandate of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to collect weapons, pointing out that they are among the militias that must be disarmed, dismantled and their leaders should be brought to justice under resolution 1556 of the Security Council.

Comprehensive peace

Hussein told Radio Dabanga that disarmament can only be achieved by providing the appropriate environment in the context of real and comprehensive peace, return of the displaced persons to their villages, participation of the people of Darfur in decision-making and change of the structure of governance in Sudan.

He pointed out that disarmament can only be achieved by involving all the people of Darfur, including the armed movements that are not signatories to peace and tribes in a climate of peace, compromise and national accord.

He appealed to the people of Darfur “not to fall into the trap set by the government to ignite internal fighting as well as calling on the government to stop igniting sedition”.

Displaced and Refugees Association

In Darfur, the General Coordination for the Darfur Displaced and Refugees Association described the weapons collection process being carried out by the government in an attempt to deceive international and regional public opinion.

It pointed out that civilians in Darfur and Kordofan do not have any weapons.

On Wednesday it said in a statement "Weapons are in the hands of the government-created militias of their various names who have killed the Sudanese people throughout the country".

Sheikh Abdelrazig Yousif, the spokesman for the General Coordination said "There is no solution nor peace in Sudan, especially in Darfur, unless the militias are disarmed by their various names, the settlers are expelled, hawakeer (tribal land) are returned to their original owners, the war criminals are brought to trial in the International Criminal Court and individual and collective compensation ".

He called on all citizens to uphold equal citizenship.

National Consensus Forces

In Khartoum, the National Consensus Forces (NCF) stressed the need to link the call to arms collection in Darfur and Kordofan to address the causes of carrying arms.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Mohamed Diaeldin of the leadership of the NCF, held the government responsible for the continuation of wars in addition to the recent complications in the security scene in Darfur which threatens to escalate the civil war.

He added that this is considered an indication of the failure of the government for adoption of security and military solutions in the face of crises.

President Omar Al Bashir stressed that the arms collection process in Darfur is a top priority for the government that must be moved forward until Darfur states become disarmed in a short period.

Al Bashir instructed in his meeting in his office in the Presidential Palace with the Governor of North Darfur, Abdelwahid Yousif, to maintain security and stability achieved, deal decisively with any phenomenon that undermines security and stability of the state and work on the planning of displaced persons areas and address the situation.